Model editor
You can create process models, application landscapes, organizational landscapes, or process landscapes by using the online BPMN model editor.
In the main work area you can do the following actions:
- Pan and zoom the model.
- Select an element and edit its properties in the sidebar.
- Activate the element’s contextual menu.
Contextual menu
When you select a model item, a contextual menu appears, providing a shortcut to the most used actions. Available commands are described in the following table:
| Icon | Command |
|---|---|
 |
Open the cross-reference view |
 |
Delete the current element |
 |
Activate the global connect tool |
 |
Display extra configuration settings for the selected element |
 |
Add a comment to the current element |
 |
Attach a document to the current element |
 |
Change the color of the current element |
 |
Add an element (of the selected type) tot the model and connect it to the currently selected element |
 |
Link a decision table |
Model versions
To work with versions of your model, you can do the following actions:
- Create a copy of your model.
- Open and review each model version.
- Compare selected models.
Model versioning
You can create a version of each model to track the changes. To open the version of a model, click Versions in the toolbar and select the version's name.
You can also activate the visual comparison tool. To compare two versions of a model, complete the following steps:
-
In the Versions toolbar, click the Compare button.
-
Select the two versions that you want to compare.
-
You can view two models side by side with highlighted changes between them. The following colors indicate a type of the change:
- Red Indicates removed elements.
- Green Indicates added elements.
- Yellow Indicates changed elements.
- Blue Indicates moved elements.
Also, you can obtain a tabular list of changes by clicking the List of changes button.
Command palette
The command palette contains all the main commands and tools that can be applied to the currently opened model. You can use the following tools:
- Hand tool
- Lasso tool
- Create/remove space tool
There are different types of items in the command palette. You can create the following item types:
- Group of Processes
- Object
- Data Object
Components of the model editor
Task
Task types are intended to model the processes that are technically executable and infrequently applied.
You can define the specific type of a task from the configuration settings in the contextual menu.
Loop
A loop task repeats until a defined condition either applies or ceases to apply. To specify a task as the loop task, select the rounded arrow icon from the configuration settings in the contextual menu.
Multiple instance
A multiple instance instantiates repeatedly and can run in sequence or in parallel. To specify that a task has multiple instances, select one of the following options from the configuration in the contextual menu:
- Three horizontal stripes if the task is sequential.
- Three vertical stripes if the task is parallelized.
Subprocess
A subprocess describes a detailed sequence. Both task and subprocess are the part of the activities class and are represented as rectangles with rounded corners. The only difference is the plus sign, indicating a stored detailed sequence for the subprocess:
You can specify that a task is a subprocess from the configuration settings in the contextual menu. You can also choose to collapse or expand the subprocess.
Ad hoc subprocess mark a segment in which the contained activities (tasks or subprocesses) can run in any order, run several times, or be skipped.
You can define an ad hoc subprocess by selecting the Wave icon from the configuration settings in the contextual menu.
Gateway
You can define the specific type of a gateway from the configuration settings in the contextual menu. You can define the following gateways:
- Exclusive
- Inclusive
- Parallel
- Event
Data
You can use following data types:
- Data Object
- Data Store
Events
You can define the specific type of an event from the configuration settings in the contextual menu.
For more information, see BPMN Reference webpage.
Properties sidebar
You can use the Properties sidebar to review and edit all the properties of the currently selected item.
Properties can vary depending on the type of selected item.
In the General tab you can do the following actions:
- Name a selected item.
- Add an optional description of the item.
- Add associated systems and roles defined in the cross-references.
In Others tab you can create the following configurations:
- A responsibility assignment matrix (RACI) related to the roles defined in the Organization landscape section.
- A User-Defined Properties for which you can define the name and the value.
Cross-reference
To set the cross-references of an item, you can select the Cross-reference icon in the contextual menu.
References can vary depending on the type of selected item.
You can associate the item with:
- Systems defined in the Application landscape section.
- Roles defined in the Organization landscape section.
After you associate the selected item, you can view and modify the related elements.
Export models
The Process models can be exported in standard BPMN 2.0 notation from the Export menu on the header. Process models can be used by IBM Process Mining as reference models. All models can be exported as an SVG image.
Supported vendors
- Bizagi
- Bonita
- Camunda
- IBM BlueWorks
- Generic
Search the business repository
On supported Windows operating systems, click CTRL+F (CMD+F on Mac) to search inside the currently opened model. You can search through the results by using your keyboard arrows or by scrolling and selecting with your mouse.
It is also possible to do a full-text search on your entire system by using the search box embedded in the navigation menu as shown in the folllowing image:
Your system tries to find matches in models (processes and landscapes) and attachments as shown in the following image:
